hoyle



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

k12/i014 l f MMS. Q SLW, .AM

W. J. HOYLE, Deod. W. D. BALDWIN, Administrator.

Patented May 1, 1888.

(No Model.)

CARRIAGE FOR HEAVY ORDNANGE FOR LAND DEPENSES.

3 Sheetsfshet 2.

(No Model.)

W. D. BALDWIN, Administrator. CARRIAGE FOR HEAVY ORDNANGE FOR LAND DEPENSES.

Patented May 1, 1888.

(No Model.) l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.'

W. J. HOYLE, Deod.-

W D BALDWIN, Admm1strator 'CARRIAGE PoR HEAVY ORDNANGE POR LAND DEPENSES.- No. 381,979.

Patented May 1,

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WILLI-AM D, RALDWIN, or WASHINGTON, DIsrRIor or COLUMBIA ADMINISTRATOR or WILLIAM J. ROYLR, DnoRAsED.

CARRlAGE FOR HEVY4 ORDNANCE FOR LAND'DEFENSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettere Patent No.- 381,979. dated May 1, 1888.

Application filed July 18, 1887. Serial No. 24,656. (No model.) Patented in England January 6, 1885, No. 20G, and in Italy March 3l? 1885, N0. 18,020;

To all whom #may concern.-

Be it known that WILLIAM JENNNGS HOY'LE, a subject of the Queen of Great Brit ain, formerly of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, engineer, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Carriages for Heavy Ordnance for Land Defenses, for which patents have been granted to hint in Great Britain, dated January 6, 1885, No. 206, and in Italy, dated March 31, 1885, No. 18,020,)-of 4which improvements the following is a specication.

This invention has for its object improvements in carriages for heavy Ordnance for land defenses. Y

W'ith heavy ordnance .,mountedmon the-disappearing principle when the gun is raised to the ring position by a spring formed of compressed air or otherwise, and is brought down to the loading position, or nearly so, by the recoil for facility of loading, it is important to get the gun to the lowest position, especially when an overhead shield for protection of the guns crew is employed. Inasmuch as two or more charges of different weights are used for the gun there is difficulty in getting the full recoil in all cases. This invention provides for this being overcome. The disappearing carriage is fitted-with an air-reservoir in which is compressed air and at the lower parta liquid. The reservoir surroundsv a cylinder in which a plunger Works. The plunger is coupled with the upper portion of the gun-carriage and moves into the cylinder whenthe gun is iiged. Two or more passages connect the cylinder to the reservoir, and these are covered by valves with annular opening and controlled lift. The cylinder is also iilled with liquid. When the gun is fired, the plunger forces the liquid into the reservoir from the cylinder andfurther compresses the air, thereby storing up sufficient force to return. the gun `to loading position when required.

Naturally the pressure of the air is much greater toward the end of Vthe stroke'than at the beginning and the pressure in th'e cylinder is unequal. This is compensated for by the valves with the controlled lift, which cause a great additional pressure at first when. the speed of recoil is great and much less toward the end when the speed reduces to nil. A new passage of communication is opened between the reservoir and the cylinder when it is desired to let the gun go up to firing position. This is worked by hand-gear. To provide for full recoil with different charges,the pressure of air and lift of valves are so designed and arranged thatthe smallest' charge used in practice will just bring the gun down the full amount, and when -it is desired to re a larger charge means are provided for cutting o the action of one of the valves byscrewing a stop down on it from the outside. The small additional force necessary to pass the liquid through only the remaining valve is suldcient to regulate the recoil to be v.no greater-in -length than when the small charge is used; or to get the gun to the lowest position I provide a small hand-pu mp attached to a convenient part of the carriage, a suction-pipe is led to the bottom of the cylinder, and a deliverypipe-is led to the bottom of the reservoir.l In this case the valves are permanently adjusted so as to control the recoil when the heavy charge is used, so that the full recoil will only then be obtained. With the light charge the.

recoil would be about two-thirds full, and the gun is then brought down by working the pump, the liquid being drawn from the cylinder and passed into thev reservoir, the gun assisting the action by its own weight. This work is easily performed by two men in a reasonable time during the time the breech of the gun is being opened. The pump is always in connection with the cylinder and reservoir, no stop valve or cock having to be opened or closed previous to or after the pumping. For purposes of drill and inspection of the mounting the pump is of great service, as the gun can be allowed to go into firing position and l ofthe gun, symmetrically arranged, 'two at In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional ele v ation of a heavy gun on a disappearing carriage. It is arranged and controlled in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is aplan of the same gun and carriage with some of the parts removed. Fig. 3 is alongitudinalsection of the recoil-cylinder and adjacent parts;

,-Fjg. 4, a transverse section thereof taken near `the rear end of the cylinder between its two outlet-valves. Fig. 5 is a side view of the rear vend), ofthe recoil-cylinder and air-vessel. Fig.

v6 iis'asection showing details of the fillingf cock. lFig. 7 is a section of the pump exposing the valves and valve-seats; and Fig. 8 is aplan of the same'. The pump, however, presents no new feature.

a is a pivot secured to a snfiicient foundation andfformiug a center around which the turn-table frame bis able to rotate. It is supported by wheels c, which run upon the ring rail d. i

e e are hand-wheels having pinions on their axes, which gear` with toothed wheels which' are fast with the supporting-wheels.. By turning these. wheels the turn-table is moved around its pivot, and the gun which it carries is broughtto bear upon the object.

f is a double lever or frame, which at its lower end is jointed to the turn-table Z1, and at its upper end' it carries the gun by its trunnions. Thelever-frame rocks vertically about itsjointed connection with the turn-table. i, The elevation of the gun is controlled by long linksg g,jointed to it beneath the breech on either side and passing down to lugs on a pair of curved racks, h h, which gearwith piuions which by intermediate gear are connected with the hand-wheel i. By turning this handwheel any desired elevation can be given to the muzzle of the gun.

k is a ram, which at its upper end isjointed to the frame f. The ram is received through the gland I into a cylinder Z, which is provided with the lling-cock G and carried by the turn-table, and can rock upon trunnions at l. In the same casting with the cylinder there is an air-vessel 7c', in which air under pressure is contained. A detachable cover, M', is provided at the side of the lower end of the recoil-cylinder and air-vessel.V The cylinder Z and a portion ofthe capacity ofthe air-vessel are filled with water or other liquid. lThe pressure in the air-vessel is suicient to' maintain the gun in the iiring position and to offer a suitable resistance to the recoil. rEhe lower part of the cylinder .is connected with the air-vessel by two passages provided with their respectivel outlet-valves J' and K, and-the valve in each case .is prevented by a stop-screw from rising from its seat for more than a short regulated distance. Oueof these valves, when desired, can

be set down onto its seat, so as to remain entirely out of action. This is done when the gun is to be tired with aheavy charge.

Lis the screw-spindle of the rst or uppermost valve, J, serving to hold it to its' seat when heavy charges are dried.

M is the handle of the spindle and N its gland. f

.0n the recoil taking place it will he seen that the ram 1c is' driven into the cylinder, forcing the water or liquid before it into the air-vessel through the. narrow passage or passages which the valves allow. The recoil of the gun is in part absorbed by the resistance theliquid experiences in the passages. A portion of the force of the recoil,`however, sufficient to bring the gun back to the firing position, is expended in compressing the air Vin the air-vessel. The gunafter recoil remains down in the loading position, as the valves prevent the return of the liquid from the air-vessel into the cylinder. A. small by-pass valve, O, ofa passage communicating with the cylinder and air-vessel is opened by hand when the gun is to come up to be again red.v The ley-pass valve is worked by a handle and a rod, l?.

Pt is the gland of the spindle of the by-pass valve, and S the securing-plate for the same.

If the gun is tired with a low charge, both of the controlled valves are allowed to lift when the recoil takes place. The resistance offered to the transfer'of liquid from the cylinder to the air-vessel is then less than before, and consequently, although the force ofthe recoil is less, the gun is still able to come fully down to the loadingposition. The gun may, however, be fired with a light charge with one valve only in opera-tion, or one valve only may be provided, and this so set that the gun on recoil will not come fully down to the loading position. In this case the hand-pump m is employed to bring it down. Its suctionpipe m is connected with the lower end ofthe cylinder Z, and its delivery-pipe m2 is conneeted with theair-vessel.

n is the leverhandle, by which the pump is worked by manual labor. The pump then draws liquid out of the cylinder and delivers it into the air-vessel. The gun can thus always be brought completely down altogether independently of the recoil. f

H is a valve for regulating the water-level in the air-vessel.

The turn-table b carries eight. columns, o o, and these support a horizontal armor-plate shield,p,which 'closes theupper part of the gun-pit, with the exception of an opening through which the gun rises for tiring, and descende on recoil.

Having now particularly described andascertaned the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is-4 l. The combination of the horizontal-turning turn-table, the frameconnecting by a joint at its lower end to the turn-table and rocking vertically about said joint, the gun carried at IOO IIO

the opposite end oflhe frame, and the over The combination, in a gnnfcarriage, of

head shield supported by und moving with tli'ehydraulic cylinder, the air-vessel .'ldjaicenis the turntable and provided with Ythe aperreto, the ram working in thefc'ylinder and tnre through which the gun rises and descends, ffonnected with the support by whichthe gun zo 5 substantially as and for the purpose set forth. is raised and lowered, two or `more passages' 2. The Combination` of the frame having the' coinmunicatngwiththe cylinder at orv near pivotal support at itslower end and rocking its lower end and with the corresponding end vertically about sueh support, the gun at the of theair-vessel, and the controlled valves of` upper end of the frame, the-hydraulic oylnsaid passages, substantially as and forthe pnr- 25 'rol der, the air-vessel adjacent thereto, the ram pose set forth.

' working inl the cylinder and connected with .l the pivoted frame for raising and lowering the ammistgjflgpyze gun, and the pump having its suction and'de- "j y livery pipes connected with the cylinder and Witnesses: y A x5 air-vessel, substantially as 'and forthe purpose I. LLOYD B. WIGHT, set forth. NELLrE L. HOMIES;-Y 

